Have you ever wondered what value God places on you? Sometimes we can feel like a piece of dirt. There are days when we are painfully aware of just how broken we are. Yes, perhaps we mostly rise to the occasion and do what is respectable; but when we feel we are unseen or unknown, the underbelly of who we are becomes apparent. That’s when we feel like a worthless pebble.
In 2018, workers at the now-closed Debeers Victor Mine in northern Ontario, Canada discovered a 271-carat rough cut diamond. From that large rough rock emerged a 102.39-carat diamond that’s considered as near to perfection as possible in four areas – cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight. It may become one of the most expensive diamonds of its kind in the world. It is considered to be flawless. Sotheby’s will be auctioning this diamond and it remains to be seen what the price tag will be.
Debeers Victor Mine, Ontario, Canada
The priceless diamond story made me think of a poem my father wrote many years ago about a ‘worthless pebble’. He became a Christian in his twenties, after a rough start in life. To this day, I still see his poem mounted in some homes I visit. Frankly, I have been conflicted by the words and the meaning of his poem. Was he really a worthless pebble?
I was only a worthless pebble upon the beach of time,
Yet He stooped and declared to heaven “I have made this pebble mine”!
Albert Ramsay – Click image for story.
And this is why I serve Him as I think of that crowded beach,
And shudder: that when He was passing I might have been out of reach,
And left like the other pebbles to never be touched by His hand
And tossed by the waves of life’s ocean and buried at last in the sand.
– G. Albert Ramsay (1913-1993)
Again, I ask: was my father a worthless pebble? If you read his story, you may see why he felt he was a worthless pebble. Sin and guilt make us feel so small. Perhaps you can relate to that feeling too.
But here is the good news: you are greatly valued and loved by God. Regardless of the value someone will ultimately place on the 102.39-carat Canadian diamond, God’s appraisal of you is infinitely higher.
My father – worthless? No! Unworthy? Yes!
Even if you know this verse well, will you pause and think about it again? There’s a reason why it’s the most well-known text in the entire Bible.
For God so loved the world
He loves the unlovable. Sinners of all kinds and without exception. Not one is excluded.
That He gave His one and only Son
God did the unthinkable. He gave Jesus to die the horrible death on the Cross for our sins.
That whoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
To believe is to receive the unspeakable gift. A gift for you that surpasses human comprehension.
The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
There is nothing about our sin and brokenness that God loves. All sin of any shape or form, colour or kind is offensive to His holy character. Sin is the only thing that God has against anyone but it is the very thing He has against everyone – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
Sin will never enter Heaven and unless yours are 100 percent forgiven you will never either.
As His image-bearers, we have been corrupted and compromised by sin in our hearts. Flawed and broken by sin. The evidence that we bear the image of God (Genesis 1:27) is barely recognizable in any of us. But God sees your inherent value and wants to transform you into a person with whom He can enjoy a beautiful relationship now and forever – developing all in you that He intended for you.
Regardless of the price someone will pay for the diamond at Sotheby’s Auction, it will still be ‘peanuts’ in contrast to the value God places on you.
God knows you are worth saving. God knew we were worth dying for. That’s why He sent His Son to this world to die on a cross. Jesus shed His blood – the innocent and righteous One died for the guilty and unrighteous ones like me and you. I find that amazing; don’t you?! Because of the value God placed on us, Christ was willing to bear the penalty of our sin by dying in our place. He became my substitute! (1Peter 3:18)
Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost in their sins. (Luke 19:10)
Christ is the Saviour for those who have no strength to save themselves. (Romans 5:6)
Friend, you may feel worthless based on what you know about your deep self. But the death of the Lord Jesus Christ is the irrefutable proof of the infinite worth God attaches to you and the love He has for you.
You aren’t a useless piece of dirt in His eyes.
You aren’t a meaningless speck of dust.
You aren’t a worthless pebble on a sandy beach.
Nor are you just a priceless 102.39-carat diamond.
You are of infinite value to the eternal God. His heart of love is throbbing towards you, patiently waiting for you to allow Him to pick you up and save you.
Will you call out to Him right now for salvation?
Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13
